Barely a month goes by without us celebrating a festival of some sort in Hay.
Last month it was Hay Bike Fest, and in just a few days’ time we’ve got a double dose of festival mayhem as the town welcomes hordes of bookworms and chin-scratching big thinkers flocking to Hay Festival and – a little over a mile away – the How The Light Gets In philosophy festival. (HTLGI)
Now – if you’ve ever tried inching your car through the crowds during festival week, you’ve probably pondered better ways to travel.
Thankfully, there is one – and it’s pedal-powered. In short, ditch the car and go by bike, you know it makes sense.
We reckon Hay’s narrow streets, one-way system and sardine tin car park are better navigated from the perch of a velocipede at the best of times – and during festival week it’s a no-brainer.
The straight, 1-mile jaunt from town to the Hay Festival site is a breeze on two wheels. We’ll be installing stands there so you have a secure place to leave your steed while you absorb some food for thought at one of the talks.
And if you’re stopping at HTLGI’s riverside campsite, it’s (more or less) downhill all the way to their festival central at The Globe.
What’s more, you don’t even need to bring your own bicycle – we have a massive hire fleet covering everything from road bikes, to leisure bikes, to top-end mountain bikes. For the pedal-shy, we even have the latest electric, motor-assisted cycles.
This year, we’re throwing ourselves into festival week with gusto.
Hidden around Hay between the leaves of bike-related tomes in the town’s second-hand bookshops, we’ll be leaving a stack of money-off vouchers redeemable during festival week. There will be 10x£5 and one £25 golden ticket up for grabs.
**Join us on Monday 26th May for a free (but ticketed) afternoon led ride, with a pit-stop at Talgarth’s beautifully-restored, 18th century water mill.
**Or saddle up on Wednesday 28th May and join the local cycling club, Velo Hay, for one of their weekly evening outings, leaving Drover HQ on Forest Road at 6pm.
Contact the shop on 01487 822 419 to book a slot on our led ride, or to arrange bike hire.
For more info check out the bike hire page here.